Policy on port development

Madam, - A recent article by the independent transport consultant Raymond Burke on the Government's port strategy (Business This…

Madam, - A recent article by the independent transport consultant Raymond Burke on the Government's port strategy (Business This Week, January 14th) refers to efforts by the European Commission to introduce an EU directive on market access to port services.

Mr Burke points out that this "failed narrowly", that the new Commission has now launched a second proposal and that "in the meantime", the Government "will seek to ensure that ports uphold the principles in the EU Directive. . ."

Readers should be aware that the Commission's proposals on this issue are among the most controversial it has issued in recent years. The first draft was a shabby text that paid no regard to those working in the industry and that would have led to thousands of job losses at Irish and European ports as well as posing a threat to maritime safety standards. It was rightly vetoed by the European Parliament in November 2003, one of the few occasions the parliament has had to veto European legislation over the past decade or so.

Against the advice of her senior officials and without proper consultations, the outgoing Transport Commissioner, Loyola De Palacio, insisted on submitting a "revised" text last autumn.

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The European Parliament has yet to begin formal examination of this new draft, though an initial assessment indicates that it is worse than the previous one and may be in breach of International Labour Organisation Conventions outlawing the casualisation of port work.

I hope this clarifies this issue for your readers, particularly those concerned about the future of Irish ports and their workers. - Yours, etc.,

PROINSIAS DE ROSSA, MEP, Labour European Office, Liberty Hall, Dublin 1.